I was working in my office the other day … I heard some metal clanking noises behind me.

I turn around and see my four year old trying keys in one of my gun safes. He had found some keys I had around from when I was re-keying the gun safes. He was checking to see which one would open it up … I asked him what he was doing. He advised he was trying to get to “daddy’s shooting guns”.

Heh … we had a talk about that shit.

I think that they will for some period. I hope that eventually they realize the score and understand. It’s a crap shoot, but I’m willing to take that chance.

Let me explain.

My wife believes it is our responsibility to keep our boys from getting hurt. I disagree. I believe it’s my job to keep them from getting killed and/or seriously broken.

For example, a few days ago we were driving somewhere and my eldest began screaming. She immediately jumped into action to find out what the malfunction was and resolve it. That’s good. We both determined at the same time that he had gotten his hand stuck between the two child seats. He was stuck and freaking out.

She began to reach back to help get his hand out. Just as she began to reach out I snatched her arm and kind of motioned not to. She was irritated to say the least, but rolled with it.

I then told him I’d love to help out but he needed to calm down and stop screaming first. It took several minutes, but eventually he did. At that point, I got him to explain to me how he got his hand in that position. I then helped talk him through figuring out how he could get it back out.

It took some time and tears, but he did it himself. Next time he will have the experience of getting himself unstuck. That in theory will prevent the panic. That in and of itself will increase his odds of resolving the issue on his own even if the situation is different.

I can see him (and his mother) being pretty pissed off at me for not just helping him out. Her stance is that he was hurting. Why would you not help out your own child while he is hurting? I can see that point of view. I guess I feel like the greater good lies in building up his self confidence and ability to self rescue in a future situation … maybe mom and I won’t be around?

Another example occurred on Halloween. Both boys had doctor visits. I had the oldest in the exam room waiting for the doc. He decided he needed to climb up on the table. He reached onto it and tried pulling himself up. He reached pretty far back onto the ‘bed’ and tried to drag himself up onto it. The problem was that paper sheet that goes along it. All he was able to do is drag that sheet toward himself.

He asked for help. I suspect mom would have either declined to do so, as he prolly shouldn’t have been scaling that, or to have just put him up there.

Not this guy, as that is the kind of asshole I can be!

Instead I explained to him that the reason he wasn’t getting up there was due to the paper sliding. That he’d be better off planting his hands close to the edge. Pushing/pulling straight up and then kinda tumbling onto the table once he had reached that level.

He agreed that was a good plan and executed it perfectly. Again and again and again and …

I suspect he doesn’t ‘get it’ yet, it’s my hope that he will one day.

Same goes for his younger brother … he’s on track for the same kind of shit. He’s just not quite there yet.

Took the boys out trick or treating with some friends of mine and their kids. Was a good time for pretty much everyone. My youngest had gotten some shots just a few hours prior and so wasn’t feeling well. That kinda sucked ass. Eh … it happens, eh?

Last Tuesday, I bought my boy a small glider. You know the one, it’s got a rubber band driving a small propeller and wheels. When wound up all the way, it can actually take of from a rolling start. If you wind it up good and throw it, it does even better. It’s pretty sweet.

Anyhow, I bought it for him on Tuesday the 11th. He wanted to fly it at home. It wasn’t until today, Sunday, that I was home with him while the sun was out and we could do it. Fuck that. I won’t let that shit happen again.

This is going to be ‘neat’.

Left the house this morning, not to return until Sunday. Unsure how the boys are going to dig on that. We shall see, eh? Only one way to find out right?

I spent some time tonight out at a hobby shop with my oldest. My youngest was at a late night doctor appointment, so we had some time to kill.

I bought a sweet ass glider and a pine wood derby car kit. That shit’s not like it used to be. I recall a 2×3 inch block of wood that I had to cut, carve and sand into shape.  The kit we got is all ready to go. All you need to do is paint it, put the included stickers on it and you are done. Not what I recall. Not what I’d rather see him doing, but at this point he’s only 4 years old so maybe it’s just his speed.

We shall see how that works out.

The glider I got him, we put together in the parking lot and kept flying it until the rest of the family showed up to pick us up and take us home. It was a good time.

On the way home, I passed a Circus. I decided my oldest needed to see that shit. Upon arriving home, I found out that tonight was the last night.

My long day just got longer.

After dinner I informed him of the plan. He nearly shit. All in all, it was a good time. I wound up spending way too much or way too little, but he loved it.

My boy owns two horses. I paid 5 bucks for him to ride 20 feet around in a circle on the back of some piss poor pony attached to a lead line. Heh. Good times right? I’m hoping this is the shit he will remember.

I bought a wagon with my boy today and we pulled it around the yard collecting rocks. It’s begun. We won’t stop until it’s finished. One day, he’s going to shit himself when he sees the end result.

First step is for Aron and I to collect all of the rocks from the yard. That’s not going to be an easy task. I think I’m going to need a cart of some kind for that mission.

So I needed to take my oldest out of the house and keep him busy for a number of hours today. Wife needed to get some packing and such taken care of. I knew of a fair happening this weekend halfway between our old and new houses. I advise him of this and we get on our way.

As I’m just about there I notice the signs advertising the fair are down … the few that remain let me know that it ended yesterday.

I call my mom and ask her if she is aware of anything else in the area. She advises that the next county over is doing theirs as well. I made some calls while en route to pick her up to come with us and determine that the other fair was a week prior.

This is no good. All the while the boy is asking when we will get to the fair.

At one point I tried to convince him that an old mom and pop restaurant was the fair. He was not fooled. He’s been to fairs before. He knows that some of them have rides and some of them don’t. All of them have a hot dog on a stick and carny folk.

In the end, he was satisfied by a ‘Kay Bees’ golf set. He loves that fucking thing.